How to Order a Medicine Ball at Starbucks

Last Updated: January 28, 2023

If you’re feeling pretty under the weather, a classic medicine ball drink might be just what the doctor ordered. Once a “secret menu” item, this iconic tea blend has since graced Starbucks’s official menu, making it super easy to order both in person and over the Starbucks app. We’ve outlined everything you need to know so you can get this tasty drink in your hands as soon as possible. Don’t feel like spending any extra money? We’ve got you covered there, too—scroll to the end of the article for an easy, homemade medicine ball that you can whip up in just a few minutes.

Ingredients

Medicine Ball Recipe

³⁄₄ c (180 mL) of water
³⁄₄ c (180 mL) of lemonade
1 citrus mint tea bag
1 peach-flavored tea bag
1 US tbsp (15 mL) of honey
Lemon slices, for garnishing
1 drop of peppermint extract (optional)

Serves 2 people

Section 1 of 3:

How do you order a medicine ball on the Starbucks app?

1
Select the “Honey Citrus Mint Tea” option on the menu. Although many Starbucks enthusiasts call this drink a “medicine ball,” its official menu name is “Honey Citrus Mint Tea.” Look under the “Hot Teas” category and scroll through the “Green Teas” section to find it.^{[1]
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- You can find it between the “Matcha Tea Latte” and “Jade Citrus Mint Brewed Tea.”
- You’ll have to select a specific Starbucks store to order from before you can view the menu.
2
Choose a size for your drink. Honey Citrus Mint Tea officially comes in 4 sizes: short, tall, grande, and venti. Short drinks are 8 fl oz (240 mL), tall drinks are 12 fl oz (350 mL), grande drinks are 16 fl oz (470 mL), and venti-sized drinks are 20 fl oz (590 mL).^{[2]
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- If you’re ordering your tea in person, you might be able to order a trenta-sized tea, which is 31 fl oz (920 mL).^{[3]
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  Research source} However, this option isn’t available on the Starbucks app.
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3
Add any extra customizations that you’d like. Honey Citrus Mint Tea automatically comes with the tasty mint, peach, lemon, and honey flavors that you know and love—but you’re still welcome to change things up if you’d like! Tap the “Customize” button to adjust the amount of lemonade and honey in your drink, or to add some extra tea bags.^{[4]
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- For instance, you might customize your drink to have a little bit of cinnamon powder added.
- Some customizations might add an extra charge to your order.
4
Order your drink for in-store or drive-thru pick-up. If you’re feeling pretty icky, ask a friend or loved one to pick up your drink for you.^{[5]
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Research source} If you’re feeling fine, feel free to pick up your drink for yourself.
- If you’d rather have your drink delivered, try ordering Starbucks through a third-party delivery app like DoorDash, GrubHub, or UberEATS.

Section 2 of 3:

How do you order a medicine ball in person?

Ask for a “medicine ball” or “Honey Citrus Mint Tea.” Honey Citrus Mint Tea is the official name of the medicine ball, so you can just request that at the counter or drive-thru window. Let the barista know whether you’d like a small (short)-, medium (tall)-, large (grande)-, or extra-large (venti)-sized drink, and if you’d like any customizations, like extra lemonade or extra honey.
- You can also ask for extra additions to your drink, like peppermint syrup or cinnamon powder.
- The medicine ball is very well-known in the Starbucks community; so, if you ask your barista for a “medicine ball,” they’ll still know what you’re talking about.

Section 3 of 3:

Medicine Ball Recipe

1
Heat up a mixture of lemonade and water on your stovetop. Pour ³⁄₄ c (180 mL) each of water and lemonade into a small saucepan. Set your stovetop on high or medium-high heat, until your lemonade-water mixture is simmering.^{[6]
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Steep a mint and a peach tea bag in the mixture for 3 minutes. Slide the saucepan off the burner and onto a cool surface. Then, stick both tea bags in the lemonade-water mixture and cover up the pot with the lid. Then, steep the tea for 3 minutes.^{[7]
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- Use Starbucks’s Jade Citrus Mint green tea and Peach Tranquility herbal tea to really capture the authentic medicine ball flavors.^{[8]
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3
Mix in 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of honey into your tea mixture. Make sure that the honey is totally dissolved first before pouring your medicine ball into 2 separate mugs. As an extra touch, garnish the top of the beverage with a thin slice of lemon.^{[9]
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- For an extra burst of minty flavor, add a drop of peppermint extract to your tea mixture before pouring it into the mugs.

Community Q&A

Question

Will people laugh at me for drinking tea instead of coffee?

WildAnimalGirl

Community Answer

Some might but most won't. In fact, one study showed that tea drinkers are highly determined people, more so than coffee drinkers, and less pessimistic and more persistent than cola drinkers. One conclusion: tea drinkers tend to be more mature and adaptive.
Question

why is it called a Medicine Ball?

WildAnimalGirl

Community Answer

The drink goes by that name on social media because it can apparently help relieve cold symptoms.